Honda Civic Vs. Toyota Corolla: Which Is Better?
Honda Civic vs. Toyota Corolla: it’s the battle of the economy cars. But which compact car can go the distance?
Written by R.E. Fulton
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
Table of Contents
- Pricing
- Performance
- Fuel efficiency
- Technology
- Reliability
- Interior
- The final word
- How to find cheap car insurance for a Honda Civic
- FAQs
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The 2022
Honda Civic
outperforms its competitor, the Toyota Corolla
, in terms of performance, value, and long-term comfort. You might think that the Corolla and the Civic are near-identical cars—and from a surface perspective, you might be right. After all, they’re both compact economy cars produced by Japanese manufacturers with a reputation for dependability and practical value. Both are available in either a sedan or hatchback body style (the Honda Civic coupe was discontinued in 2020).
But look closer, and the distinctions start to emerge.
Jerry
, the trustworthy super app
created to make car insurance
shopping as easy as sending a text, has conducted a side-by-side comparison of Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla to help you make the big decision if you’re in the market for a new car that’s long on value and short on unnecessary costs. While we're at it, we'll show you how to save on car insurance costs to make
car loan
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While both the Civic and the Corolla are marketed as their make’s economy sedan option, starting prices for the Honda Civic are slightly higher than for the super-affordable Corolla. Check out the table below for pricing information on all 2022 Civic and Corolla sedans.
Model | MSRP | Model | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|
2022 Toyota Corolla L | $21,450 | 2022 Honda Civic LX | $23,645 |
2022 Toyota Corolla LE | $21,900 | 2022 Honda Civic Sport | $25,045 |
2022 Toyota Corolla SE | $23,900 | 2022 Honda Civic EX | $26,645 |
2022 Toyota Corolla XLE | $25,850 | 2022 Honda Civic Si | $28,595 |
2022 Toyota Corolla XSE | $27,350 | 2022 Honda Civic Touring | $30,245 |
With a difference of a few thousand dollars at every trim level, the Corolla is the inevitable choice if MSRP is your bottom line. But it’s worth taking into account the true cost of ownership—and that’s where the Civic starts to take the lead.
Let’s look at the projected five-year ownership costs for the most popular trim levels of each car: that’ll be the Toyota Corolla LE and the Honda Civic Sport. According to Edmunds, ownership costs for the Corolla LE add up to $28,107 over five years. That’s including $3,315 for maintenance and the annual $2,344
Toyota Corolla LE insurance cost
. The Honda Civic Sport, on the other hand, has a five-year ownership cost of $29,728. Yes, that’s slightly more than the Corolla, but it’s a smaller increase on top of MSRP, making the Civic more affordable to own long-term.
Performance
The Honda Civic wins over the Corolla when it comes to performance, thanks to a stronger engine, smoother acceleration, and sporty handling.
The 2022 Civic’s 158-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder base engine edges out the Corolla’s 1.8-liter engine, which has just 139 horsepower on offer. The upgrade engine for the Civic—a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine capable of generating 180 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque—is also stronger than the Corolla’s 169-hp upgrade, which barely beats the base engine for the Civic.
For both cars, a continuously variable transmission (CVT) is standard, but you can get a six-speed manual under certain conditions. The Corolla’s manual transmission is only available in combination with the 2.0-liter upgrade engine, while the stick-shift Civic can only be had as a hatchback.
How does all of this shake out in terms of on-road performance? Simply put, the Civic is speedy and sporty where the Corolla lags. Acceleration is a particular struggle for the Corolla, which fights hard in the fast lane and the highway on-ramp. The Civic, meanwhile, delivers a fun, sporty driving experience—though, like the Corolla, it suffers from excessive road noise. And for serious speed fans, there’s the Civic Type R, a high-performance cousin of the budget sedan.
Fuel efficiency
The Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE takes the top spot for fuel economy with a delightful 52 mpg combined. It’s no Tesla, but it’s still head and shoulders above the next most efficient Corolla.
But apart from the hybrid, the Civic and Corolla are essentially neck-and-neck in terms of efficiency. Check out the table below to see how EPA ratings for each model and powertrain configuration compare.
Model | Engine | Fuel economy (city/hwy/combined) |
|---|---|---|
2022 Toyota Corolla | 1.8L four-cylinder (base) | 30/38/33 mpg |
2022 Toyota Corolla | 2.0L four-cylinder | 31/40/34 mpg |
2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid | 1.8L four-cylinder | 53/52/52/ mpg |
2022 Honda Civic | 2.0L four-cylinder (base) | 30/37/33 mpg |
2022 Honda Civic | 1.5L four-cylinder turbo | 31/38/34 mpg |
Overall, the Civic lags just behind the Corolla in terms of fuel efficiency. Keep in mind that fuel efficiency takes a dip of 2-3 mpg if you opt for the hatchback body style or a manual transmission in either car.
MORE:
Are Hondas good cars?
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From infotainment to high-tech safety features, the Civic’s technology options are more plentiful and more agreeable.
Both cars start out with a 7-inch touchscreen, standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, and a full suite of advanced driver aids including adaptive cruise control, lane departure warnings, and forward collision mitigation. But for the Corolla, the tech stays about the same as you climb through the upper trims. Unless the option to add an extra inch to the touchscreen gets your heart going, you’ll likely be disappointed by the tech upgrades.
The Civic, on the other hand, has the option to upgrade the touchscreen to a 9-inch version, add a wireless charging pad and Bluetooth smartphone integration, and install a 12-speaker Bose audio system—plus additional driver aids, such as lane-keeping assist and blind spot monitoring. You’ll also get more USB ports throughout the vehicle.
While Toyota’s Safety Sense™ driver assistance technology has a slight edge on the Honda Sensing® suite in real-world testing, it’s hard to beat the adaptable tech on offer in the Civic.
Reliability
Both Toyota and Honda have unshakable reputations when it comes to reliability, but the 2022 Corolla gets slightly better reliability ratings from experts like J.D. Power, RepairPal, and Consumer Reports.
The 2022 Toyota Corolla has an 85/100 predicted reliability score from J.D. Power, compared to the 2022 Civic’s 82/100. RepairPal gives both cars a stellar 4.5/5.0 rating for reliability, but they rank the Corolla as #1 among out of 36 compact cars, while the Civic takes the #3 spot (the Kia Forte is #2, if you’re curious). Consumer Reports recommends both cars for reliability, but the
Civic’s ratings have dipped somewhat
in recent years. Interior
The interior of the new Honda Civic blows the Corolla out of the water, thanks to a complete redesign for the 2022 model year. While the Corolla’s interior is solid and well-equipped, with user-friendly buttons on the central console and decent build quality throughout, the all-new Civic brings a level of streamlined modern design you won’t find in even the fanciest Corollas.
Cargo space and overall legroom are also better in the Civic. The table below summarizes cargo volume, legroom and headroom measurements for the 2022 Civic and Corolla in both available body styles.
Measurement | Toyota Corolla Sedan | Toyota Corolla Hatchback | Honda Civic Sedan | Honda Civic Hatchback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cargo volume | 13.1 cubic feet | 17.8 cubic feet | 14.8 cubic feet | 24.5 cubic feet |
Headroom (front seats) | 38.3 inches | 38.4 inches | 39.3 inches | 39.3 inches |
Legroom (front seats) | 42 inches | 42 inches | 42.3 inches | 42.3 inches |
Headroom (rear seats) 37.1 inches | 37.6 inches | 37.1 inches | 37.1 inches | |
Legroom (rear seats) | 34.8 inches | 29.9 inches | 37.4 inches | 37.4 inches |
For a compact sedan, the Honda Civic effectively maximizes storage and passenger space for a comfortable, practical ride. The hatchback’s back seat might feel a bit more cramped, but carrying nearly twice the cargo volume of the Corolla sedan might just be worth it.
The final word
While the 2022 Toyota Corolla is cheaper than the Honda Civic, the Civic is the better choice when it comes to overall performance, comfort, and options.
If up-front pricing is the only thing that matters to you in your new car purchase, you’ll want to go with the Corolla’s base L trim, which can be had for a mere $21,450. But when it comes to driving dynamics, rear legroom, cargo space, and technology—i.e., the things that really matter over the life of a car—you’re better off with a mid-grade Honda Civic such as the Sport or EX.
MORE:
Car loans for Honda 2022
How to find cheap car insurance for a Honda Civic
Insuring a Honda Civic
is cheaper than insuring one of Honda’s bigger cars or SUVs—but the costs can still add up quickly, especially if you just take the first policy that comes your way. To make sure you’re not overpaying for your Civic’s insurance, download the
Jerry
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FAQs
Is a Honda Civic bigger than a Toyota Corolla?
The 2022 Honda Civic is slightly bigger than the Toyota Corolla, with a wheelbase of 107.7 inches—1.4 inches longer than the Corolla.
Which is better on gas, Corolla or Civic?
Both the Corolla and the Civic get an average 33 mpg combined fuel efficiency rating with their base engines, but the Corolla performs slightly better in highway driving and has a hybrid powertrain on offer.
Is the Honda Civic more expensive than the Toyota Corolla?
The 2022 Honda Civic costs roughly $2,000 more than the Toyota Corolla, although exact pricing information varies by trim level. The five-year ownership costs of a Civic, though, are lower in comparison to base MSRP than for the Corolla.
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